


To see another black rose born

by moon_waves



Category: Historical RPF, The Tudors (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-24
Updated: 2019-09-24
Packaged: 2020-11-02 13:24:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,409
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20761490
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/moon_waves/pseuds/moon_waves
Summary: Following the New Year Eve's festivities of 1532, Princess Mary receives a much unexpected visitor.





	To see another black rose born

**Author's Note:**

  * For [AllegoriesInMediaRes (AllegoriesInMediasRes)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/AllegoriesInMediasRes/gifts).

> For the prompt: _“Those words comforted her as nothing else had.”_.

> **“Those words comforted her as nothing else had.”**

Still, it felt like betrayal to her mother to accept those words so readily and Mary pinched her lips, studying the woman sitting next to her. Mistress Boleyn was more richly dressed than _she _was - and she was the _Princess of England_, while that woman was nothing but the daughter of the Earl of Wiltshire - but she had shown her all the respect she deserved so far, so Mary let it slide for the time being.

(She couldn’t do otherwise, even if she had wanted to. She had been more than surprised when she had learned that her father’s mistress wanted to visit her soon after New Year’s Eve, and had been inclined to refuse sending her an invitation, as was proper, but her uncle the Duke of Suffolk had been quick to inform her that it would be her most beloved’s Father pleasure for her to invite _Lady Anne_, and she had obeyed the order. She was aware that her uncle was no friend of that woman, but he also knew first hand what happened to those who opposite her frontally, and _that_, more than anything else had convinced her to extend the invitation.)

“I would remain Princess of England, if the annulment came to pass,” she repeated slowly, staring at Mistress Boleyn.

The woman held her gaze and she would have been furious at the lack of respect, had the circumstances been any different, but this was no ordinary situation.

“As you ought to, Your Highness”, Mistress Boleyn said in a calm tone. “When the marriage of Eleanor of Aquitaine and Louis VII of France was annulled, their daughters remained royal princesses, as they ought to be. If the Pope were to grant the King the annulment he has been asking for, then your position wouldn’t change. You are, after all, His Majesty’s beloved daughter, and he wouldn’t insult you in such a way.”

Mary hesitated. The prospect was tempting - to support her father and retain her position as Princess of England, her standing and position in the succession being untouched, at least as long as the woman didn’t bear a son - but it also meant going against her beloved mother. _Priests had mislead her parents then, and priests were misleading her mother now_, if she was to believe her father and King - and the intermediaries between them.

Love against duty - she had never thought to be put in such a position _before _her marriage.

“I am not your enemy, Your Highness,” Mistress Boleyn attempted, and Mary caught the flicker of _something _in her eyes.

Was it _fear_? The idea warmed something inside her, but Mary quickly pushed the thought away - it wasn’t very Christian of her, to rejoice in another person’s misery. 

“You wish to marry my father the King, Lady Anne,” Mary finally said slowly, impressed at the steadiness of her voice, still holding the other woman's gaze. “And become Queen of England.”

Finally, the woman blinked and looked away. Mary felt a surge of triumph at her reaction, before quickly forcing her hands to relax, needing to keep her calm composure.

“His Majesty deems me worthy of his love,” Mistress Boleyn said after a moment of silence, obviously carefully picking her words. “And he is worried about his succession. He is, after all, the living proof than one heir might not always be enough.”

Mary faltered a little at her words, but she couldn’t deny the truth in what the woman was saying - one heir and a spare, and even then, it wasn’t always enough to ensure a peaceful succession. There had been plenty of examples in recent memory, and she felt cold dread creeping down her spine when her eyes landed on the red and white roses adorning the windows of her rooms. 

So much blood had been spilled on English soil…

“It is a lot that you are asking of me, Lady Anne,” Mary finally said after a long moment of silence had stretched between them, the woman looking more and more uncomfortable.

She was surprised to see her move for her seat to come kneel down in front of her, seemingly indifferent to the creases it was indenting onto her dress. Mistress Boleyn really looked like a supplicant now, and Mary realized in the cold light of January morning that all the jewelry she was wearing couldn’t hide the weariness in her eyes.

She wondered what had happened over the New Year’s festivities, for her father’s mistress to come to her for help now.

“I am asking you to put England above your mother, Your Highness,” Mistress Boleyn said after a time, each word stretching into the silence of the room.

A log cracked in the mantel of the fireplace, sending a few embers on the polished wooden floor before dying out. Mary looked at the fire without seeing it, hesitating. There was her loyalty to her mother, and her loyalty to her father and King - to England. Her siding with her father would mean agreeing with him that even popes could be fallible, but on the other hand, the King of England was letting his case rest in the hands of Pope Clement VII... Although, if the rumors were true, it also meant her beloved father was taking advantage of the heresy - the schism, even! - burning across Europe for his own gains. 

(_But crowns need the papacy, and the papacy needs crowns as well_, a little voice whispered in her ear, reminding her of what she had studied over the years. And with the Ottoman forces coming closer and closer to Rome with each passing year, it would do no good for Christendom to be divided...)

“You are no friend of Rome, Lady Anne,” Mary pointed out slowly, trying to recall the pieces of information she had heard about the woman over the years. 

“I am true to the message of Christ, Your Highness, but Rome is…” she hesitated for a moment before remaining silent, words seemingly falling her.

Mary turned her gaze back on her, studying her with a piercing look. Mistress Boleyn knew how to present her argument and when to remain silent, when she realized she was being baited. Perhaps she wouldn’t be too unworthy to remain at her father the King’s side - but she certainly wasn’t worthy to take her mother’s place.

“Rome sanctioned my parents’ marriage,” Mary pointed out. “And Rome would sanction its annulment, too, if you had your way. Wouldn’t it, Lady Anne?”

“Rome has nothing to gain from another succession war in England, not with the Ottomans at the doors’ of Christendom, Your Highness.”

The switch in argument left Mary blinking, surprised. Mistress Boleyn had learned a lot about the art of _discussion _during her time at the French court, that much was obvious. They had even come to the same conclusion, despite being on opposite sides of this particular argument. She might even learn from her, if they ever were to spend more time together - even though that would mean going against her mother.

And yet obeying her father’s will… her sovereign’s will.

“I shall like to speak with my father the King for the New Year, Lady Anne. Would you be so kind as to inform him of that once you come back to court?”

There, this was as much concession as she could make for the time being, and the woman realized it. Mary gestured for her to leave, watching her bow deeply - deeper than she had when she had arrived - brows furrowed in indecision.

The conversation had been deeply unsettling, and she didn’t know what to make of it. She didn’t even know with whom she could talk about it - not her mother, who thought her father was seduced away, and undoubtedly not her father as well. Maybe her aunt Mary, who had married for love once the old French King had died - but no, she knew her aunt absolutely hated Mistress Boleyn. And she had done her duty first, as any royal princess ought to. The Spanish ambassador wouldn’t be a good choice either, and neither would her chaplain.

Her uncle the Duke of Suffolk, on the other hand… he made no mystery of his dislike for Mistress Boleyn, but he was loyal to her father and, more importantly, still had his ear and trust. 

Maybe she could talk to him before speaking to the King.

Before taking sides.

**Author's Note:**

> Plot bunny free to go home :)  
And as usual, feedback is more than welcome!


End file.
